A Lebanese woman was wounded today by Israeli shelling in South Lebanon. Lebanese security sources said shrapnel hit Jalila Qbaysseh, 49, in the stomach and legs when a shell landed near her house in the village of Qleileh, north of the zone Israel occupies in the South. Qbaysseh was the second civilian wounded in Israeli shelling since the beginning of this year.
In another development, four Israeli soldiers and two Israeli allied militiamen were wounded today when Hizbullah guerrillas set off a roadside bomb near their patrol inside the zone Israel occupies in South Lebanon.
Israeli allied militia sources said the blast wounded the six as a joint patrol drove near the entrance of the village of Ain Ibil in the western sector of the occupied zone. Hizbullah claimed responsibility for the attack, the first to inflict casualties among Israelis in South Lebanon since the beginning of this year. A spokesman for Hizbullah said the blast destroyed a vehicle and killed and wounded several members of the patrol.
Sources from the Israeli allied militia in the South said the wounded were immediately taken to Israel for treatment. Earlier today an Israeli allied militiaman was wounded when Hizbullah guerrillas set off a roadside bomb near his patrol driving towards Beit Yahoun in the western sector of the occupied zone.
Prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri today headed a meeting of the National Audio-Visual Media Council at the government palace. The meeting which was attended by Information Minister Bassem Al-Sabaa tackled yesterday's cabinet decisions concerning the satellite news ban and the necessity of enforcing the role of the council. Sabaa later quoted Hariri as stressing the important role of the media council and its responsibilities determined by Lebanese law.
The prime minister also held discussions on the same issue with head of the press syndicate Mohammed Baalbacki. After the meeting, Baalbacki described the harm some political programs can cause to the image of Lebanon outside if broadcast on satellite.
Hariri also held a meeting today with a delegation from the National committee for Lebanese detainees in Israeli jails. The director general of the ministry of information, Mohammed Obeid, who headed the meeting later said the visit was aimed at gathering more support to the cause of the detainees which he described as a primary national cause. Obeid added Israel worsened its treatment of the prisoners after its two failed operations in Ansariyeh and Wadi Al-Hujeir. Obeid also reported the premier reiterated his support for the committee?s efforts in seeking a solution to the dilemma of the prisoners with all its aspects whether humanitarian, social or political.
The prime minister also held meetings with a delegation of the syndicate of contractors and later held talks with the Turkish ambassador to Lebanon. The premier also received today the Brazilian ambassador to Lebanon Bryan Neil who announced president Fernando Cardozo will visit Lebanon next April. The ambassador described bilateral relations between the two countries as historic and strong adding that many officials in the Brazilian government come form a Lebanese origin.
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine is expected in the region on Sunday evening at the start of a Middle East tour, his second since taking office last summer. Vedrine is due to hold talks with Lebanese officials before leaving for a short visit to Jordan on Monday. he is then due to continue to Syria. In Lebanon, Vedrine is expected to meet his Lebanese counterpart Faris Bouiez on Sunday and President Elias Al-Hrawi, House Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri the following morning. The French Foreign Minister is expected to reiterate his country's insistence on Israel implementing the 20-year-old UN resolution 425 calling on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon.
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